I didn't request any of these cards. My first call to Dell revealed what I suspected.

Someone had applied for a credit card using my name.

I felt violated and vulnerable. Then, it hit me: I've become a statistic, a victim of identity theft.

A thief had taken my name, my credit and my identity and managed to spend more than $8,000 (money that, I'm grateful, I didn't have to pay).

I still don't know who the culprit was or how it happened.

All I know is that if this happened to me — a Sun Sentinel consumer affairs and watchdog reporter — it can happen to anybody.

Thieves move quicklyIdentity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces identity theft laws. Experts estimate 10 million Americans become victims of identity fraud each year. Last year, businesses lost $56.6 billion to ID theft, the commission said.

I've spent hours on the phone talking to fraud investigators, credit bureaus and bank staff as I've tried to sort out the mess that is now mine to clean up. I was exhausted every time a call ended.

Individual investigations, conducted by fraud departments for each of the credit card companies that issued accounts in my name, took months to complete before concluding I was a victim of ID fraud.

But there is a bright side to this story. I thought I knew how to protect myself. But what I've learned through this experience has taught me that you can never be too careful.

I also learned some hard lessons along the way about how best to safeguard my personal information in the future — and respond, if my identity is targeted again.

Lesson 1: Take actionBe suspicious if credit cards that you never applied for start arriving in your mailbox. Creating new accounts with someone else's name is the most prevalent form of ID theft, experts say.

In 2007, 57 percent of ID theft victims reported their personal information was used to open a new line of credit in their names, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit consumer-advocacy organization based in San Diego.

Don't hesitate to contact the bank, report the irregularity and close the account immediately. Chances are that someone went shopping on your behalf using the new account before you discovered the situation.

As I began calling credit card companies to report the crime, I discovered that the ID thieves had made several online purchases at Macy's, Office Max, Dell and Visa. A total of 10 cards were issued using my name and four were used to make purchases. The culprits also opened bank accounts online with Bank of America.

I take only a little comfort knowing that I might have stopped the thief or thieves from spending more money in my name, by using the other cards or the Bank of America accounts.

Lesson 2: Report crime; check credit reportAfter you suspect you have been victimized, call the police department and report the incident. You'll need a police report when filing affidavits on every case where a credit card is issued in your name. Then, call all the credit bureaus and sign up for at least a 90-day fraud alert. You have the option of signing up for up to seven years of alerts.

Request a copy of your credit report from each credit bureau —Trans Union, Equifax and Experian. Consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report once a year.

Adam Levin, chairman of ID Theft 911 — an Arizona company that educates consumers and helps safeguard their information — said ID theft victims should check their reports at least once per quarter to ensure that no new accounts have been opened in your name.

These measures, however, may not entirely prevent fraudulent accounts from being opened, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer-advocacy group based in California. A note of caution: Credit issuers do not always pay attention to fraud alerts even though the law requires it.

Lesson 3: Save your recordsBe organized and make notes on every call you make to report your case.

The process is time-consuming. I grew frustrated every time I made a new call to an investigator, bank representative and credit card office. I felt like a broken record explaining the situation all over again. But you must do this to clear your credit and name.

On average, it takes an astounding 158 hours to repair the damage after an ID thief opens a new account in a stolen name, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, based on a 2007 survey.

It's an overwhelming experience but part of the process. After reporting the crime, expect to spend a chunk of your time filling out paperwork. Just how much paperwork is required depends on how much the culprits took.

Lesson 4: Retrace your own stepsOne of the first questions I asked when I discovered that my personal information had been stolen was: How had they done it?

I asked a Macy's fraud investigator, a retired homicide detective who was assigned to my case, how he would go about trying to determine how it had happened to me. He asked me about my whereabouts weeks and months before I discovered the fraud. Had I purchased anything online? Had I been to a doctor or in a hospital recently?

He got me thinking about how much information we share every time we pay a bill, shop online or make a health-care payment.

I may never know exactly how my information was stolen, but the investigator's questions make me think twice about providing personal information or pulling a credit card out of my wallet.

It made me wonder: Do I really need to share my phone number or address when I make a purchase at a retailer?

A resolution, sort ofKnowing my case is not unique has provided only small consolation.

Since 2005, more than 230 million records containing Americans' sensitive information have been compromised because of data breaches, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

"It's very common for people to become victims or expose sensitive personal information in schools, hospitals and other places," said Identity Finder CEO Todd Feinman, whose company is based in New York. It sells software that was designed to prevent electronic ID theft.

In my case, it took nearly five months for the first investigative report findings to arrive in my mailbox. More followed in the weeks after. All reached the same conclusion: I was a victim of ID theft, and the money spent was the result of fraud.

I was lucky. I didn't have to pay any money.

But I have made some changes I'd never considered before. During my annual checkup, the office clerk asked for my Social Security number. Why did she need this?

The information, she said, would ensure test results from my obstetrician came from the correct patient. The clerk was going to fax the request with my Social Security number in it.

I refused.

Fax the request, I told her, then give me a call if you can't obtain the records. I will drive there to get the records, I said.

She never called back.

Mc Nelly Torres, right, didn't lose any money and learned to better protect her identity. She can be reached at mntorres@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4208 or 561-243-6600, ext. 4208.